Fire and Ice
by Voice in the Night
Summary: The Starfox team, after the first defeat of Andross, has been rewarded with a pair of experimental new Arwings, and are looking for two new pilots. Fay and Miyu seem to be the most likely candidates. But what really happened to them 10 years ago?
1. Chapter 1

A ship somewhere in the Lylat System: Five years before the original Starfox

"It's good that you could make it," the dragoness murmured to her guest from her position opposite him at an ornately carved desk.

The black panther smirked. "I do what I can. Now, why did you bring me here?"

"How much do you know of the legend of Fire and Ice?" the dragoness asked, her large wings fluttering slightly.

At 6'6", Panther was considered large in most circles, but was dwarfed by the huge size of his draconic hostess. This fact caused Panther to choose his words very carefully when he spoke to her; though he was afraid of few things, that did not mean that his common sense went out the window. "It is not a piece of common knowledge among my people, but I know a fair share about it. Why do you ask?"

The dragoness leaned forward slightly, causing the small lamp, which was the only source of light in the room, to cast weird shadows on her face. "Because, my black-furred friend, I believe that the time is coming soon when their powers will awaken. Once this happens, my--aspirations will be impossible to achieve," she said.

Panther smirked slightly. 'Aspirations, eh? She wants to be the next Andross,' he thought. 'I wonder what makes her think that these two elementals will be the only threat to her rise to power? Oh well. As long as I get paid.'

"What do you want me to do?" Panther asked.

"Subdue them," the dragoness said simply. "By any means necessary."

Panther raised an eyebrow, his amber eyes narrowing critically. "While I'm not exactly what you'd call a model citizen, I typically only try to duck the red tape if I'm sure I'm not gonna get caught. This is essentially a guarantee of jail time, if not worse."

"Let me worry about that," the dragoness said, smiling cryptically.

Panther tilted his head slightly, but smiled back at the dragoness. "Well, as long as we're on the same page with what I'm gonna get out of this..."

The dragoness nodded. "You'll be well paid. That is assured."

Panther smiled. "I don't believe I got your name, miss--?"

The dragoness smirked, placing her hands behind her head. "I didn't give it," she replied. "If you have no more questions, you can leave."

Panther chuckled to himself as he walked out of the dragoness' office. 'So presumptuous,' he thought. 'Well, as long as I'm getting my cut, I don't really care what she does.'


	2. Chapter 2

Fay was shoved up against a wall of one of the skyscrapers towering above her in the alleyway by the lusty-eyed wolf that had been following her and Miyu. "St-stop!" Fay whimpered.

"Leave her--alone!" Miyu snarled, struggling in the grip of a large jaguar.

"Come on, girly, you know you want me," the wolf sneered. He grabbed Fay's wrists and pinned them above her head, then he unbuttoned the first few buttons of her shirt.

Fay whimpered softly, lowering her head. "Please--" she whispered.

"Well, well...what have we here?" the wolf smirked. "You're prettier than I--oof!" Miyu tackled the wolf, then rolled to her feet in a fighting stance. "Leave--her--alone!" Miyu snarled. "Run, Fay!" she ordered. Fay took off like a white lightning bolt.

"You can't hide from me, girly!" the wolf shouted, climbing to his feet.

Miyu blasted the wolf and the jaguar with fireballs. "Stay away from us!" Miyu hissed. A barrage of fire blasts followed that statement. The wolf was sent tumbling, but the jaguar kept his feet. He pulled a blaster from a hidden holster on his leg and pointed it at Miyu.

"That's quite enough, girl," the jaguar growled. "You've given us quite a thrill, but now we're going to have to kill you." A sadistic smirk curved his muzzle, and his finger tightened on the trigger.

Suddenly, a metallic _ching_ rang through the air, and the jaguar's blaster was sliced in two. A black panther appeared in front of Miyu, raising his sword. "I think it's time that you left," he said.

All of the two 'morphs cockiness vanished, and the jaguar and wolf dashed off. Miyu's rescuer turned to her, smiling gently. "Are you all right, girl?"

"Y--yes," Miyu panted.

"A girl your age shouldn't be wandering out alone in a city like this," the panther said. "Where are your parents?"

"Fay and I are orphans..." Miyu said, looking down.

"Ohh..." the panther gently placed a hand on Miyu's shoulder. Miyu winced slightly, but did not pull away. "I'm so sorry, girl. Do you even have anywhere to live?"

Miyu shook her head. "No...we were in foster homes for a while, but most of them were only short-term care. And--after some strange things started happening, no one else wanted us."

The panther raised an eyebrow. "Strange things? What do you mean?"

Miyu held out a hand, and a fireball appeared, floating a few centimeters above her hand. "Fay and I have strange powers. She can control ice, and I can control fire. After a few--accidents in the foster homes, we were thrown on the streets."

The panther sighed. Some people just were heartless. "You and your friend are elementals," he said. "That means you can control a certain elemental property; specifically ice and fire."

Miyu looked up. "Really? Wow...how do you know so much?"

The panther laughed. "I actually would have thought that you would know that already."

Miyu shook her head. "No...we haven't exactly been up on all the latest news on elementals," she smirked.

The panther smiled back, then stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I have an idea," he said. "Now, while I don't exactly have a massive house, I think that it could accommodate two more people."

Miyu looked up, gasping softly. "Really? You'd let us live with you?"

"Sure," the panther nodded. "I have free space, and you need a place to stay. It seems that it's only the right thing to do."

Miyu giggled, jumping up and down. "I have to tell Fay!" She grabbed the panther's hand and led him out of the alleyway. Suddenly, she stopped. "Oh! What's your name?" she asked.

The panther smiled. "Panther," he said. "Panther Caluroso."

"Panther, huh?" Miyu repeated. "It fits," she giggled.

Panther smiled. 'Things are going perfectly,' he thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Fay and Miyu sat across from each other on their respective beds; Miyu was deep in thought, and Fay was playing with her earrings, trying to avoid Miyu's gaze. "Fay, don't you think that this is a little weird?"

Fay looked up at Miyu. "What? Why?"

"Well, we've been with Panther for a couple of weeks, now, and...well, he's been nice and all, but I can't shake the feeling that something is off. Don't you feel it?"

Fay laughed and shook her head. "Miyu, what in the name of all Lylat are you talking about? Panther hasn't done anything to harm us...he's taken good care of us. He really cares for us, Miyu, but you're shutting him out. Let him do for you what he's done for me," Fay smiled.

Miyu tilted her head. "What?" Fay wasn't making any sense, and it was scaring her.

"Panther's taken such good care of me," she smiled. "He could take care of you, too, if you'd let him." As if on cue, Panther appeared from the hallway and walked up to stand beside Fay, slipping his hand into hers. He smiled lovingly down at her, and Miyu recoiled in shock, her hands flying to her mouth. "No...no...no!" she shouted, running out of the room and out of the house, not sure where she was going; she just had to get away.

Miyu awoke with a gasp, shaking in fear. 'This is wrong!' Miyu thought. 'Something is very wrong here! We have to get out of here tonight.' She turned to Fay, but she wasn't there. Miyu's eyes went wide, and she gasped. "Fay!" she hissed tersely."Fay, where are you, dammit?"

A low growl, almost inaudible, assailed Miyu's ears, and she sat bolt upright. "I'm gonna kill him," she murmured. She rose out of bed, creating and extinguishing a fireball in her hand.

She walked down the hall to Panther's bedroom, and could hear Fay's whimpers from behind the closed door. "No...please, stop, Panther..." Fay pleaded.

"Shh..." Panther purred. "I'm just takin' care of you, girl..."

Miyu hissed vehemently, her ears going flat against her skull. She blasted the door open with a powerful fire blast, then charged into the room, knocking Panther off of Fay. Most of Fay's clothing lay in a pile on the floor, signifying just how far Panther had gotten. Fay lay trembling in the bed, unable to curl up in a ball, so frightened was she. Her cheeks were damp from silent tears, and there were a few cuts on her arms from where Panther had been rough with her. Miyu growled venomously. "You're gonna die, Panther!" she snarled, clenching her fists. Her hands burst into flames, then she leapt upon Panther, attacking him brutally.

Panther kicked Miyu off of him and threw her into a wall. "Now you've pissed me off, and that's a _really_ bad idea."

"Ooh...I'm scared, Panther," Miyu snarled. "Bring it."

Panther raised his hands in a fighting stance, then leapt for Miyu with surprising speed. Miyu was unable to keep up with Panther's assault, and was knocked to the floor. She rolled onto her side, panting.

"You're no match for me, girl," Panther sneered. "Can't you see that?" He flicked his fingers, and long claws protruded from his fingertips. "I'm tired of your annoying presence," he snarled. He yanked her up and wrapped one hand around her throat, slashing her brutally with his claws. He pulled his arm back, lining up his hand with her heart. "I'm gonna enjoy watching you die," he smirked. His hand shot forward, but before he touched Miyu, he was knocked off-balance by a series of ice shards. Panther whirled around, and saw Fay had regained her feet, and was holding a series of ice crystals in her hands.

"Leave her alone!" Fay yelled, encasing Panther's hands in ice. Panther growled, and began to stalk towards Fay, bashing his hands against the wall to free them from their frozen prison. However, he had forgotten completely about Miyu, who had recovered somewhat from Panther's brutal assault. She bathed her hands in flames, and she wrapped her hands around Panther's face. He screamed, clawing at her hands, but only succeeded in spreading her fire to his hands. Miyu released her grip on Panther, who fell, shuddering, to the floor.

"Let's get out of here, Fay," Miyu whispered. Miyu extinguished her hands, then slipped her hand into Fay's, and the pair dashed out of the house.

--

"Fay..." Miyu murmured. "Fay, wake up..."

From her position on Miyu's chest, Fay blinked slowly, and her eyes fluttered open. "Hmm? What?"

Miyu gently caressed Fay's cheek. "It's morning, girl," she said softly, smiling.

Fay looked around, seeing the sun's rays filter through the trees under which they were sleeping. "Hmm...I guess it is," she murmured back. She leaned up and gently kissed Miyu. Ever since they had escaped Panther, the bond between the two girls had strengthened and deepened to a point to be nigh unbreakable. Miyu tenderly stroked Fay's hair, smiling. "This isn't so bad, you know," she murmured. "I could get used to sleeping under trees."

"Fay--" Miyu said. "We can't run forever..."

Fay sighed. "We don't have to do anything, Miyu...things are good as they are. Let's not make any ripples..."

Miyu sat up, pushing Fay off of her. "You were the one who was--"

Fay cut her off curtly. "I know, dammit! But all I want to do is forget, Miyu! Not dredge the whole thing back up again."

"Please, Fay..." Miyu pleaded. "If not for you, do it for me."

Fay crossed her arms, pouting.

Miyu ducked her head the looked up at Fay, a coy look on her face. "Please?" she asked, her eyes wide in a puppy-dog look.

Fay giggled, then burst out laughing. "No fair!" she said, shoving Miyu back.

Miyu laughed. "I just want you to see reason, Fay," she said. "We have to do this, Fay. It's the only way we'll get any justice."

Fay sighed. "All right, Miyu. We'll go to court."


	4. Chapter 4

"Panther, those are some pretty serious allegations against you. Have you anything to say?" asked the judge, a venerable husky.

Panther looked up, his amber eyes rimmed with tears. He looked over at Fay and Miyu, who recoiled visibly when their gaze met his. He only smiled gently, then looked back at the judge. "All I wanted was to help these two young girls. They were lost and confused, and I thought I could be a positive influence in their life," he said, nodding slowly.

Miyu nearly flew out of her chair and took a menacing step towards the black feline. "Bullshit! You have no shame at all, you heartless bastard!" she cried. Even though the lynx was only fourteen, she had the heart of someone much older. She had to, to protect the younger Fay from Panther. Fay was only thirteen, and what he had done to her had left her scarred, both physically and mentally.

The catman looked at Miyu, a mix of hurt and shock on his face. "Why do you say such things? I only want to provide for you and Fay, girl."

"You are the foulest--"

"You're out of order!" the judge snapped. "Take your seat."

"I will not!" Miyu hissed. "This bastard--"

"TAKE YOUR SEAT, Ms. Lynx!" the judge thundered.

Miyu blinked, tears beginning to form in her eyes. What was happening? Why was this going so wrong?

"This is wrong!" a voice in the back of the courtroom shouted. "Panther is cruel! Look at their scars!"

"We've seen them before," the judge said airily as Miyu and Fay began to show what damage had been done to them. "They could have been caused by anything. They're likely to be self-inflicted."

"Self-inflicted?" Now Miyu quickly glanced behind her to see to whom the voice belonged. A tan reynard wearing sunglasses had stood and shook a clenched fist at the judge. "Self-infli--Are you blind, Matthew?"

"Sit down, McCloud, or I will have you removed from this courtroom!"

"You listen to me, Matthew O'Hara. I don't know what you have against these girls, but so help me, if you do not call this trial fair, I will have you run off of Corneria!"

Judge O'Hara sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "You're making me do this, James," he murmured, then said in a louder voice, "Men, remove Mr. McCloud."

The two court bailiffs began to advance on McCloud, who resisted as they tried to escort him out of the courtroom. "No! This is wrong! Wrong, I tell you!" he shouted as he was dragged from the courtroom.

Several heads turned to watch as James was pulled from the courtroom. "This is all happening like the Fair One said," a hare stated.

"I know. I'm so glad that Judge O'Hara was able to speak to him and prevent a possible tragedy. How many people do you think that these two girls would backstab if no one had stopped them?" a wolf murmured.

"I have no idea," was the reply. "Oh! The judge is getting ready to pass his sentence."

Judge O'Hara had been conversing with the jury, and now he turned and addressed the court. "It is the consensus of this court that these two girls, Miyu Lynx and Fay Spaniel, be charged with falsifying information, giving false witness, lying under oath, and the attempted homicide of Panther Caluroso," Judge O'Hara intoned in an ominous voice. "That scar will never heal," Judge O'Hara murmured, as Panther absently scratched the scorched flesh on his cheek.

"That was in self-defense!" Miyu screamed. "He--he--" she couldn't finish her sentence, and broke down, sobbing. Fay pulled the lynx to her, gently stroking her hair and purring reassurances, even though they both knew they were hollow.

"Judge, perhaps you could pass a less harsh sentence," Panther murmured, smiling slightly. "It's obvious these girls are lost and confused. They do not need to be placed in juvenile detention, but in a place where they will be cared for. I wasn't the right person for the job," he said sadly. He moved closer, to place a hand on Fay's shoulder, but the white dog growled warningly, and Panther wisely withdrew his hand.

Judge O'Hara looked at the two girls, then at Panther, and sighed. "Very well. It is the ruling of this court that Miyu Lynx and Fay Spaniel be placed in foster care until the age of eighteen Cornerian years, at which time they will be granted legal adulthood and be given their freedom." The judge pounded his gavel on the podium, and Fay and Miyu were escorted out of the courtroom, still embracing each other. Both girls could feel the disapproving stares of the people boring into them, and could even hear snippets of whispered comments.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Panther wanted to take care of you, and you spat in his face!"

"You're evil, just like the Fair One said."

Fay could feel tears trickling down her cheeks, and could feel one of her shirtsleeves becoming wet from Miyu's silent crying, as well. 'Why?' Fay demanded. 'What have we ever done to be so mistreated? We don't deserve this!'

--

You and your hare-brained _ideas_!" Fay sobbed, hugging her knees to her chest. After the judge's ruling, Fay and Miyu had been escorted out of the courtroom, and they went to the tree in the park under which they spent most of their time.

Miyu tried to pull the spaniel to her, but she jerked away. "Please, Fay," Miyu pleaded. "Don't shut me out like this. It's all we could do, and we had to do something..."

"No, we didn't!" Fay snapped. "If we'd've just let things lie, then no one would have known about anything. But now that we went to court, the whole of Corneria knows, if not all of Lylat!"

Miyu tried again to pull the girl into an embrace, and this time, Fay grudgingly allowed herself to be enveloped in a comforting hug. "Shh, shh, Fay. We tried. It's all we could've done. Besides, who else do we need, anyway? We have each other; that's all that matters."

Fay gasped softly and looked up quickly, her sapphire eyes searching Miyu's violet ones. "Do you mean that?"

Miyu laughed softly. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well...I just wouldn't want you to do anything that would get you made fun of..." Fay mumbled

Miyu laughed, looking down at Fay. "Girl, who would make fun of us that hasn't given us hell already? And besides, even if someone new tried to put us down, I wouldn't give two shits. I love you, Fay..." she murmured, her cheeks becoming a light shade of pink.

Fay smiled gently at Miyu, placing her hands on Miyu's cheeks. "I love you too, Miyu," she said. "I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier. Now I know that I have you, and that's all I need."

Miyu gently embraced Fay and whispered softly in her ear, "I'll always be here for you, Fay."


	5. Chapter 5

Downtown Corneria: 2375 (Five years after Starfox)

Fay and Miyu walked down the street, and Fay wondered just what had come over them these past few weeks. It was one thing to have applied for the Academy, but to pass as some of the best pilots, then to have applied for Starfox...what was happening to her and Miyu?

"Do you really think that was a good idea?" Fay murmured to Miyu.

Miyu stopped and turned to face Fay, tilting her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean us applying for Starfox," Fay said. "Firstly, we'll be seen out in public again for the first time in ten years...that, to me, just has "really bad idea" written all over it, and secondly, we're applying for Starfox, of all things! I mean, it was one thing to get into the Academy...that was kinda cool, actually. But I never expected it to amount to anything, let alone best pilots in our class. And besides, Starfox has acquired a certain reputation, right?"

Miyu pulled Fay into an embrace. "Shh, shh. It's all going to be all right. We are different people, radically different, than we were ten years ago. We don't need anybody's opinions. I don't care what they think about us. Let 'em! It can't affect us unless we let it. And as for Starfox, if anything gets too crazy, I'll protect you. You know that..." she said.

Fay smiled, playing with Miyu's earring. "I know, Miyu. You've always been there for me, and you always will."

Fox groaned, running a hand through his headfur as he looked with chagrin at the massive pile of letters, resumes, and application papers that were piled on his desk. "Falco, buddy, you talk too much," Fox sighed, shaking his head. Falco had let it slip at a recent press conference that the team had received new experimental fighters to replace their old ones, and that they were looking for two members to fill the slots. Almost instantly there had been a flood of mail. Some were from students at the Academy, looking to join the most prestigious military group in the galaxy. Some were from avid fans just looking for an autograph. And a third batch was from Fox's good friends Bill Grey and General Pepper, offering their personal suggestions. Fox had briefly considered asking the commander himself to join his team, but Bill was happy where he was, leading two of the elite squadrons of the Cornerian Air Force.

"So I talk too much," Falco replied, waving a hand dismissively. "It's the truth. We need two more pilots."

"Yeah, I know," Fox sighed. "I just wish I could choose, ya know? I'm not trying to be elitist here, just practical. Being part of the first line of defense for Corneria is not as easy or glamorous as most people think. The pilots we pick have to be the right people for the job, not just any Joe Schmoe from off the street."

Falco grinned and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, buddy. The right answer will come to ya. It always does."

Fox smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, pal."

"Anytime," Falco said as he walked out.

Fox looked out the window at the skyline of Corneria City and exhaled. Things were so much simpler in space. 'Maybe I should just start fresh with a new batch of candidates,' Fox thought. He had already flipped through the most promising candidates, and even had interviewed the better ones, but no one had what he was looking for. He needed a strong team dynamic; most of the interviewees were more concerned about what they could get out of it, not how they would be helping Corneria, and all of Lylat. 'Wait. Maybe this last pair might hold some promise,' he thought. He looked to the bottom of his list--he had formed a list of promising candidates, and all of them had been scratched off, except these two--and tapped their names with his pen. "Miyu Lynx, and Fay Spaniel," he murmured. It was strange, though, Fox got mixed responses from people he had asked about the two potential pilots. Bill Grey and other Cornerians from his and Fox's generation seemed not to have heard about the two before at all. The older Cornerians acquired a strange look of disapproval when they heard the two girls' names mentioned. "Don't hire them, you'll be making a big mistake," was the prevalent response. Even General Pepper had expressed some concern about Fox thinking that they should be included into the team. "I wouldn't, if I were you," Pepper had said. Fox wondered why the older Cornerians were so disapproving of the two girls. Only Peppy had spoken positively about them. He had heard that they performed admirably in the sims, and were good scorers in their academic tests, as well. The other candidates he had interviewed, while some had excellent marks in piloting skill, had sub-par marks in several other areas. Fox blinked, realizing suddenly that Fay and Miyu's names sounded familiar to him. Where had he heard them before? 'Didn't Dad mention something about these two?' he wondered, becoming more sure of the fact. But he couldn't remember what his father had said about the girls. 'It's probably nothing,' Fox thought.

Suddenly there was a knock at the entrance to Fox's office. "Come in," he called, and the door smoothly hissed open, granting two furres access to his office. When they stepped into the room, Fox nearly fell out of his chair in shock. Being a mercenary on an all-male squadron had some disadvantages, and being exposed to little to no female company in several years was one of them. The result was that Fox wasn't exactly able to hide his feelings that well. "Uh--sit down, and we can get started," Fox stated, completely at a loss for words. Fox was torn between admiring their beauty and retaining his professionalism.

The lynx winked at Fox, then sauntered up to one of the chairs, spun it around, then sat on it with her arms draped over the back, leaving Fox stammering in surprise. The spaniel, however, was somewhat more demure. She seemed to be nervous...was it because of the interview, or who it was with? He knew that he had acquired a certain--reputation around Corneria because of his mercenary affiliation, but he always tried to be a gentleman when he was out in public.

Fox noticed that the lynx had an ever-growing smirk on her face, and the spaniel was becoming redder by the second. He realized with a start that he had been staring at them. "S-sorry," he muttered. "Fay, isn't it?" he asked, gesturing to the spaniel. She nodded. "Then you must be Miyu," Fox concluded, receiving a coy smirk in response. "You're here for the interview, I assume."

Miyu rolled her eyes, then smirked at Fox. "No, Foxie, we're here for an autograph."

Fox raised an eyebrow. 'Great. Another Falco.' In an attempt to change the subject, Fox said, "I received your applications; do you have your Academy papers with you?"

The lynx's eyes widened, darting around the room. Her cockiness gone, her mouth formed an O of panic. "Shit!" she hissed, as her hands shot into her pockets, obviously attempting to produce the papers.

The spaniel grinned, winking at Fox. "Don't worry, Miyu's always a little-absent minded. That's why I grabbed both of our sets of papers," she said, and slid them across the table.

Miyu flashed a quick smile at her friend, and mouthed the words "Thank you."

Fox smoothly picked up the girls papers, and he quickly skimmed them, then re-read them. The girls' scores were quite similar, only within a few percentage points of each other. Fox commented on this, and both girls fidgeted uncomfortably.

Fox grinned, hoping that it would put the girls at ease. Why were they so nervous around him? It was more than his reputation, he could tell. It was almost--fear of being around a guy in general. "Don't worry," he said, smiling. "I'm not judging you. I just am curious as to how you scored so closely on about every subject."

Fay clamped her mouth shut, then became very fixated on her earrings, which Fox noticed were a series of sapphires, which accented her eyes ni-- 'Wait a sec, McCloud!' Fox chastised himself. 'You just met these two. You're gonna be a perfect gentleman around them!'

Miyu, noticing her friend's inability to speak, spoke for her. "We, uh, we help each other in the areas that we're not so good in. It just works out that Fay's good in stuff I could use some help in, and vice-versa," she said, tracing a line on the floor with her boot. Fox wondered why when the girls gestured, it was always with the same hand--Fay with her left, Miyu with her right. He looked over the desk and saw that the two girls were tightly clasping hands, and that they were trembling. 'What is going--' Fox began, and then realization struck. "Oh, damn," he muttered. He chastised himself for not seeing it before. The scars on their faces and arms, their reticence around him... He pressed a button on his desk and the door slid shut, which caused Fay and Miyu to jump. Fox quickly held out his hands. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you!" he said in an urgent tone. He had to reassure them. With a few more keystrokes, he disabled all the communications devices that were monitoring the interview. "I don't want anyone else finding out who you are, or there might be trouble," he said, leaving Fay and Miyu looking at him in surprise.

'He couldn't--could he?' Miyu thought.

'It's him! I knew it!'

"The trial was rigged," Fox murmured softly.

Fay yipped, and Miyu gasped. "What? How did you--?"

Fox sighed, running a hand through his headfur. "My father, James McCloud, was there that day. He stood up for you when no one else would. He didn't know why the trial went as it did, and neither do I, but I just want you to know that both he and I believe your side of the story."

Both Fay and Miyu looked at Fox, and a slow smile came to Fay's muzzle. Miyu gave Fox a lopsided smile. Fay reached forward and placed her small hand on Fox's cheek. If it had been possible, Fox would have sworn he would have melted at the spaniel's soft touch. As it was, it was all he could do to keep his professional composure. "Thank you," she murmured.

"We're getting used to it," Miyu said softly, smiling gently at Fox. "The disapproving stares and the whispers behind our backs don't affect us as much anymore," she said. "Just...Fox?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Promise us you won't give us any special favors now that you know who we are," she said softly. "We can take criticism, we won't tolerate pity, though."

Fox smiled. "You have my word. You'll get the job only if you're qualified enough," he said with a smirk. For some strange reason, he was more confident around these two girls than any others he had met.

Fay giggled. "You know, under any other circumstance, that might be construed as an insult, but here, it's a compliment," she grinned.

Fox smiled. "I'll get back to you on this," he said, taking their papers in his hands and tapping them against the desk to align them. Fay and Miyu rose; Fay waved on her way out, and Miyu winked playfully at Fox.

Fox put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair, placing his boots on his desk. Once he was sure Fay and Miyu were out of earshot, he whistled slowly. 'So, that's how the other half looks, huh?' he thought wryly, then mentally slapped himself. 'Come on, Fox! Pull it together! You're not hiring these two so you can snag some free eye-candy! They're competent pilots. And, they need some stability in their lives right now,' he thought. 'Let's just hope I can give them a start in turning their lives around.'


	6. Chapter 6

"It's been a long time, Panther," the silver dragoness murmured, taking a sip from her mug. It wasn't normal Cornerian coffee, of that Panther was certain as he also took a drink from his own glass.

"Yes it has," he replied. "This time, perhaps would you be so kind as to provide me with a name with which I can properly address you?"

"_Y'irel Adhoní_ would be just fine," she said with a smirk, "but if you must know my name, I am called Arellinn," the dragoness finished, placing her hands behind her back and leaning back in her chair.

"Very well. Arellinn," Panther murmured. "I have no idea how you did it…but you certainly have the wool pulled over the Cornerians' eyes," he said with a smirk.

The dragoness returned his sly grin. "I told you, Panther…I would take care of everything. I have the Lylatians eating out of the palm of my hand." Arellinn chuckled softly. "However, I'm sure that you didn't come here just to trade compliments with me. What is it that you want?"

Panther frowned, contemplating his drink. "I must apologize. Fay and Miyu have--escaped my grasp, and now are under the care of the mercenary team Starfox."

Arellinn raised an eyebrow. "This could be problematic--" she murmured. "How much does this Starfox team know about psions and elementals?"

Panther shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea. My relations with the team had been strictly limited to the encounter in the courtroom with Fox's father, James. He didn't give any indication that he knew the girls were elementals."

"Well, if they truly know nothing of the legend, then they will not give the girls any added protection. It should be a simple matter to snatch them out from under their noses." Arellinn's eyes suddenly acquired a strange glow. "I have been defeated once. I will _not_ be vanquished again!" she growled softly. "This time, bring the girls directly to me. I see now that the only way to properly deal with this matter is to--dispose of them." She laughed, then turned to face Panther. "Soon, all of Lylat will be under my rule!" Arellinn suddenly became very quiet and smiled gently at Panther. "And, we can finally have peace."

Panther frowned. He was with Arellinn on this, mainly because he wanted to get paid. But it couldn't be clearer that the dragoness was unstable. Now, he'd have to be doubly on his guard if he wanted to make it out of this alive. "May I take my leave of you, ma'am?" Panther asked.

Arellinn nodded, airily waving her hand. "Oh. Yes. You may go."

Panther bowed, mumbled a thank you, then scuttled out of the room. As if on cue, a small device he had in his pocket began to beep. He waited until he was sure he was out of earshot of the dragoness before opening it. "What do you want?" he demanded tersely. "I told you that _I_ would call_ you_! You almost got me caught!"

"S-s-sorry--sir," a distinctly reptilian voice replied from the speaker of the communicator. "I just wanted to say that everything is going according to plan...please don't hurt me, sir..."

Panther smirked. "You've done well, Sllith. When the great Lord Andross returns, I'm sure he will...reward you."

Panther could almost feel the excitement in the lizard's voice. "Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you!"

Panther clicked off the communicator, chuckling to himself. "Such a simpleton," he said. He walked through the corridors of Arellinn's ship to the hangar, then climbed into his fighter, and jetted out of the hangar bay, returning to his own cruiser, several light-years away. 'Arellinn wants these two girls destroyed, but I think, after seeing their powers firsthand,' Panther thought, rubbing his cheek absently, 'I think that the great Lord Andross may have a use for them.'


	7. Chapter 7

Fox walked out of the interview room, whistling a tune to himself. 'I think that these girls will make a nice addition to the team,' Fox thought. 'They're skilled pilots, and seem to have a strong team dynamic. Even with what happened to them, they're not letting that get them down.'

As Fox stepped into the lounge, Falco cornered him, asking him how the interviews went. "Who did you pick?" he asked.

"Easy, Falco, easy," Fox laughed, holding up his hands.

"I just want to know if you've picked anyone that I would know," Falco continued.

Slippy laughed. "You mean like--Katt Monroe?" he prodded.

"Watch it, Slip-up," Falco warned.

"Now, boys--" Peppy admonished, chuckling to himself.

Fox laughed. It was good to be back to a little normalcy after a long day of interviews. "To answer your question, Falco, no, I don't think these two are anyone you know," Fox said.

Falco tilted his head. "Well, then, Foxie, don't rush to tell us, or anything," he chided.

Fox grinned. "Their names are Fay Spaniel and Miyu Lynx."

Peppy nearly choked on his coffee, his face paling. "What?" he spluttered.

Fox raised an eyebrow. "You seemed to be all right with the fact that I might be considering hiring them a few days ago when I ran over the list with you," he said.

Peppy sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "It's not that I disapprove of them, Fox, it's just...we don't really know what happened to those girls a decade ago. Your father knew something was fishy in the judgment call of O'Hara, that's about it. Isn't there anybody else?"

Fox shook his head. "Everybody else either was practically drooling about being able to be two meters away from me, or were solely concerned about what they would get out of the deal. Fay and Miyu seem to have a really strong team dynamic--don't say it, Falco--" Fox warned as Falco opened his beak, then shut it with a surprised snap.

"I wasn't going to say anything," Falco pouted, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Anyway," Fox continued, "I've reviewed their profiles, and they honestly look like the best candidates for the job."

Peppy gave another long sigh, then looked at Fox. "I trust your judgment, Fox, but if we do decide to take these two girls onto the team, you know that we'll be in for a lot of heat from a lot of fronts. Pepper and the media will give us no quarter."

Fox frowned, his brows furrowing. "What's Pepper's problem with Fay and Miyu, anyway? I've never pegged him as sexist."

Peppy shook his head. "He's not. That's one thing I know for sure."

Falco tapped Fox on the shoulder. "Would someone mind filling me and Slip in? We're totally lost right now," the blue bird said.

Fox smiled. "Sorry, guys, I forgot that you hadn't joined the team when all of this was going on. About ten years ago, these two girls, Miyu and Fay, had been accused of the attempted murder of businessman Panther Caluroso of Zoness. Somehow, Panther's face had been brutally scorched, and that was where the charges came in. Miyu claimed it was self-defense for the attacks and the attempted rape of her and Fay," Fox said, and Falco gave a slight shudder. "The judge, however, simply dismissed all of that. Dad tried to get him to see sense, but got thrown out. All of that was really odd, because Matthew, the judge, and Dad were good friends up until Dad was killed. Matthew ruled that the two girls should be placed in foster care until they hit 18, then they'd be legal adults and free to do as they wished."

Falco frowned, deep in thought, something that was somewhat of a rarity for him. "You're right, Fox. I wasn't there, but I can tell. Something just doesn't add up."

Slippy nodded. "I agree."

"Now on to the main point of me finding all of you," Fox said. "I may be captain of this team, but that doesn't mean I act autonomously..." Falco raised a hand, and Fox laughed. "Look it up later, Fal," he said, then continued. "I want to know if you approve of my choice." He pulled the folder from under his arm and set it on a table, beckoning his teammates to come around the table. He opened the folder, showing the Academy files of the two girls.

Peppy hummed thoughtfully, then nodded. "Their marks seem to be quite good, even among this year's class."

Slippy looked over at Peppy. "Yeah, I noticed the same thing."

"Do we get to see any pictures before we hire these two?" Falco asked, a smirk on his face.

Fox lowered his head slightly and looked at Falco with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. "Now, Falco, we're not hiring these two just because of looks...Besides...what would Katt think?"

Falco turned bright red and began spluttering. "I--uh...I mean...well she..."

Fox laughed. "Easy, birdie. I'm just givin' you crap." He looked up, so he could see all three of his team. "So the consensus is that these two join the team?" Fox looked around and watched with a smile as Peppy nodded, Slippy grinned, and Falco flashed his characteristic thumbs-up. Fox grinned. Things were working out just fine.


End file.
